If everything goes according to the issue and news it is grabbing Maggi might just go off the shelves everywhere. Delhi government press release on Tuesday said that their test showed from a total of 13 samples, 10 masala (tastemaker) samples were found to be unsafe having lead exceeding the prescribed limits. The prescribed limit of lead is 2.5 ppm.
Five samples of the masala (tastemaker) were also found to have monosodium glutamate without proper label declaration, which fell under the category of misbranding.
Government has decided to initiate a case against the company for selling an unsafe product.
How it began?
The furor over Maggi began in Uttar Pradesh when Maggi noodles came under the scanner last month after the Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration asked Nestle India to withdraw a batch of noodles ‘which were manufactured in February 2014’ after it found the presence of non-essential taste enhancer monosodium glutamate and high levels of lead in the samples tested.
So why Maggi?
Why do Maggi noodles have MSG and lead. Well MSG stimulates the nervous system and makes food appear tastier. It is widely used in Chinese food we eat. The US FDA says MSG is generally recognized as safe. Lead is not an essential component of noodles.
What does Nestle say?
Nestle India said on May 21, “We do not add MSG to our Maggi noodles sold in India and this is stated on the concerned product. However, we use hydrolysed groundnut protein, onion powder and wheat flour to make Maggi noodles sold in India, which all contain glutamate. We believe that the authorities’ tests may have detected glutamate, which occurs naturally in many foods.”
Here is a list of states that have initiated action against Nestle’s Maggi:
Kerala – Temporarily ordered a halt on the distribution of Maggi noodles from government retail outlets in the state.
Karnataka – The Karnataka government ordered random lifting of samples of the product from across the state for laboratory testing after allegations there are some four Maggi manufacturing units in the state.
Haryana – Has ordered random testing of Maggi noodles’s samples.
West Bengal – The West Bengal government has said that the West Bengal Food Department will convene a high-level meeting on 3 June to take a view on the ongoing controversy surrounding Maggi noodles.
Bihar – Bihar court went one step further and ordered the registration of an FIR against Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta, who have featured in the Maggi advertisements, and said they could be arrested, if required.
Uttarakhand – The Uttarakhand Food Safety Department has also joined the cause and collected samples of the Maggi noodles from the company’s Pantanagar plant and other places in the state, sending them to the state government laboratories for tests.
Maharashtra – Food and Drug Administration in Maharashtra had said last week it will verify the claims about presence of lead in Maggi noodles before taking a decision on recalling the product.
Goa – Goa has declared that Maggi is safe for eating as the lead and monosodium glutamate in the products has been found within permissible limit.
Nestle India has claimed it has got samples tested in an external laboratory as well as in-house and that the product was found “safe to eat”.
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